Media Center Press Releases March 29, 2017: Social Justice Visionaries to Receive Honors on April 20

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March 29, 2017: Social Justice Visionaries to Receive Honors on April 20

Environmental Health Coalition announces Dolores Huerta as keynote speaker for April 20 celebration

Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), an organization fighting toxic pollution in San Diego and Tijuana, will recognize three icons of environmental justice at its 2017 Awards Celebration, Leaders United for Justice. EHC will celebrate these inspiring women who have dedicated their lives to empowering community leaders in low-income neighborhoods of color.

This year’s awardees include:

  • Keynote Speaker and Spirit of Justice Award: Dolores Huerta
    • As a civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, Huerta helped champion the rights of workers in agricultural fields. Her legendary work continues to empower communities to demand equality and social justice.
  • Environmental Justice Champion Award: Georgette Gomez
    • San Diego City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez grew up in Barrio Logan, where environmental injustices shaped her future in advocacy. Prior to her election to City Council, Gomez served as EHC’s associate director for policy where she spearheaded the effort for a new community plan for Barrio Logan and fought for climate justice.
  • Leadership Empowerment Award: Beatriz Barraza
    • Barraza was instrumental in developing the “promotora” model for peer-to-peer community health promotion, which EHC adopted for SALTA, its leadership development program. Twenty years later, SALTA has trained more than 2,500 community members to become leaders for environmental justice in neighborhoods around the world.

To EHC, community leaders are the change-makers shedding light on issues that warrant long-overdue environmental justice for low-income communities of color. Leaders United for Justice celebrates these organizers, activists and spokespeople, as well as the 20th anniversary of EHC’s multi-lingual leadership-development program: SALTA.

Pacifica Companies presents EHC’s annual event at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. The event expects a sold-out crowd of more than 300 attendees, an exciting program including keynote speaker Dolores Huerta, San Diego Councilmember David Alvarez, National City Councilmember Alejandra Sotelo-Solis, community members, long-time supporters of EHC and sponsors such as San Diego Airport Authority, IBEW Local 569, United Domestic Workers and more.

Click here to purchase tickets or sponsorships to Leaders United for Justice. For event questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on EHC’s leadership development work, please visit www.environmentalhealth.org.

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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION: Founded in 1980, Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) builds grassroots campaigns to confront the unjust consequences of toxic pollution, discriminatory land use and unsustainable energy policies. Visit us online at http://www.environmentalhealth.org.